Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Kerry Nomination for Secretary of State

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement regarding the announcement that President Obama has chosen to nominate Senator John Kerry, Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to be the next Secretary of State:

“We applaud President Obama’s nomination of Senator John Kerry, a champion for civil and human rights, to be the next Secretary of State. As Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he has demonstrated strong leadership on the most challenging foreign policy issues of our time and a remarkable commitment to advancing our nation’s role as a global leader for human rights.

Senator Kerry has made the advancement of the core American values of democracy and human rights a touchstone of his Senate career. He supported the creation of a new subcommittee on international women’s issues and human rights to advance these values, and has strongly advocated for adoption of human rights treaties for women (CEDAW) and people with disabilities (CRPD) over the objections of an extreme fringe minority of senators.

We urge the Senate to quickly confirm Senator Kerry and urge the senator to continue his advocacy for democracy and human rights in his new role.”

Wade Henderson is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.